Trial Postponed For Driver In Deadly ShopRite Crash

BEL AIR, MD — The trial has been postponed for the man accused of causing a deadly crash last March in Bel Air. A judge rescheduled a pretrial hearing Monday afternoon where he planned to rule on whether the case could be heard in Harford County.

Carloo Everton Watson, 49, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, requested his trial be held in a jurisdiction outside Harford County.

There was "extensive media coverage" and "extensive pretrial publicity in this case," his attorney Brian Thompson said in court. He had submitted more than 150 pages of articles he said supported his assertion.

"I'm not agreeing that it's extensive," Assistant State's Attorney Cristin Treaster said. "The coverage has been shallow and covers facts that [will] come out at trial anyway."

Said Thompson: "I'm flabbergasted...That's a remarkable contention."

Police said Watson had been driving a ShopRite tractor-trailer along MD 24 that did not slow down or stop as it approached Ring Factory Road, where it crashed into 11 other vehicles on March 11, 2019. The tractor-trailer caught fire at the intersection, as did two vehicles pinned underneath it. Officials said two people died in the crash.

Andrew Klein, 65, philanthropist and owner of Klein's ShopRite, was pronounced dead at the scene, where his vehicle was one of two caught under the tractor-trailer Watson was driving.

Tripp Johnson, 7, a student at William Paca/Old Post Elementary known for being happy and fun-loving, died at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Johnson and his mother were in one of the nine cars hit in the crash that did not catch fire, according to police.

To support his argument that Watson could not get a fair trial in Harford County, Thompson said he had compiled articles about the crash as well as Klein and Johnson.

As retired Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Daniels scrolled through the articles on his computer in the courtroom, he said he could not find anything relevant until the sixth page. That first article in the series was about "healthful eating," the judge reported.

Watson's attorney promised he would submit a new copy of the articles and "underline everything that is relevant" pertaining to the crash or the victims. Klein was an "icon" in the community, and some of the articles were about him, according to Watson's defense.

"He's a side note in many of them," Treaster countered. "There are tens of pages that mention him once."

At issue was not how much the case was covered, according to Treaster, but whether the coverage has been prejudicial to the point that a jury could not hear the case without bias.

See Also:

• Driver In Deadly ShopRite Crash Wants Change Of Venue: Report
• Joppa Boy, Businessman Killed In Ring Factory Road Fiery Crash
• Kind, Fun-Loving Joppa Boy Killed In Crash
• Supermarket Owner Killed In Bel Air Crash Mourned By Community
• Police Conducting Probe Into Double Fatal ShopRite Crash

A hearing about whether to change the venue for the case will occur Feb. 12 in Harford County Circuit Court.

"I'm a little frustrated that we couldn't complete the hearing," Daniels said before adjourning, "but on the other hand, I do believe that in order to make a good record in this case...we [need to] make it very clear what evidence the court is considering in making its ruling." He said he wanted to ensure that Watson received a fair trial and the citizens of Harford County had a fair trial as well, and that the issues were clearly laid out in the event of an appeal.

Watson was indicted in August on two counts of negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, two counts of criminal negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, and four counts of using a cell phone while driving, resulting in serious injury or death. He was released two days later after posting $375,000 bond, court records show.

On Monday, he waived his right to have a trial within 180 days of his initial appearance in circuit court, which is known as the "Hicks Rule" in Maryland. During the nearly hour-long hearing in Bel Air, Watson only spoke to establish that he understood he was waiving his right to have the trial in the 180-day period. He did ask for clarification about the rule before swearing that he understood and agreed to it.

A woman who accompanied Watson and Patch were the only two people in the audience attending the hearing.

Watson's trial was slated for Jan. 27 but now it has been postponed indefinitely pending the outcome of February's hearing about whether to proceed in Harford County.

Under sentencing guidelines for Maryland, Watson could face a maximum of 30 years total in prison if convicted at trial. The negligent manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years incarceration with a $5,000 fine; criminally negligent manslaughter has a penalty of three years in prison with a $5,000 fine, and the cell phone usage charges come with a maximum penalty of one-year in prison with a $5,000 fine, according to the state's attorney.